


Thanks Mum

by supercalvin



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2014-08-08
Packaged: 2018-02-12 07:28:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2100825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercalvin/pseuds/supercalvin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone remembers that one time they called their teacher ‘mum.’ Maybe it wasn’t that exact situation (called the babysitter ‘Dad’ or called out for ‘Ma’ in the middle of a group of women). Either way, that embarrassing moment has happened to someone at least once in their life, however it happened. It happened to Arthur when he was six.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thanks Mum

Everyone remembers that one time they called their teacher ‘Mum.’ Maybe it wasn’t that exact situation (called the babysitter ‘Dad’ or called out for ‘Ma’ in the middle of a group of women). Either way, that embarrassing moment has happened to someone at least once in their life, however it happened. It happened to Arthur when he was six.

He was at his best friend’s house ~~on a play date~~ hanging out. His Dad didn’t really approve of Merlin, but Arthur wouldn’t stop bothering him until he let Arthur see Merlin after school. So they did what every six year old boys did after school, they played with Merlin’s plastic dinosaurs and crashed tiny race cars into stuffed animals. It was a very typical for them. Arthur would tell Merlin what to do (or what he was doing wrong) and Merlin would tell Arthur that he would do as he pleased (eventually Arthur would join him in adding the teddy bears to the dinosaur car crash).

Arthur liked being with Merlin. He didn’t say it in so many words (even with age he wasn’t good at expressing his feelings). But he pulled Merlin’s pigtails, so to speak. He definitely made the effort to see Merlin and if anyone was mean to Merlin they would have to deal with Arthur (since he was much bigger than Merlin, who was scrawny).

But Arthur didn’t just like playing with dinosaurs (though that was fun). He liked being with Merlin. Plus he liked Merlin’s Mum. She would make them baked treats or other snacks (sometimes they were healthy snacks and Merlin would complain, but Arthur was excited just to have a snack). She would ask about Arthur’s day just as much as she did Merlin, sometimes more. Plus, she had remembered that he had done a project in class the week before, and asked about it. He told her all about blue whales and he showed her his project (which she said was lovely and very well done).

She baked them brownies and when Arthur said ‘thank you’ she kissed him on top of his hair, just like she did to Merlin. Maybe it was because Arthur didn’t have a mother and he was desperately craving maternal attention, but he liked Merlin’s Mum. Anyways, Merlin didn’t seem to mind. Merlin was a bit of a mama’s boy who loved his mother more than anything, not caring what other boys would say.

But it all came crashing down for little six year old Arthur that one play date. He and Merlin had just had their snack and were off to defend the galaxy from space aliens.

Merlin hopped out of the chair, “Thanks, Mum!”

Arthur, who was too busy thinking about playing and not what he was saying, copied what Merlin had said “Thanks, Mum!”

He had stopped in his tracks, his entire face going red. Merlin, who hadn’t thought it was a big deal, laughed and said “Oops!” already going to his room. But Hunith was smarter than that. She saw the little meltdown Arthur was going to have in about three seconds.

He felt tears in his eyes, and he didn’t want to cry because only _babies_ cried. Later he would realize the problem wasn’t that he had called Hunith ‘Mum’ but that he had felt so comfortable that he had desperately wished Hunith was his mother. His little lips pursed in a pout and his fists clenched at his sides. He ran to the front room and hid behind the couch.

“Arthur!” Merlin yelled. “I’m sorry! I won’t laugh, I promise!” Merlin ran after his friend, climbing onto the couch to peer over it at Arthur. He curled himself into a ball and pouted, sniffling into his sleeve.

Hunith took her son and told him to go to his room for a minute.

“But Mum!” Merlin whined. She gave him a stern look and he did as he was told.

“Arthur, sweetheart.” she called, “It’s okay.”

“’M sorry” he muttered.

“Oh, Arthur.” she sighed, “Come here.” Arthur did as he was told and came out from behind the couch.

Because Hunith loved her boys (Merlin and Arthur), she knew what to do. He sat next to her and she hugged his tiny shoulders and pressed a kiss to his blond hair. “You know that you are very welcome here. Merlin and you are very good friends and I want you to be happy here.” Arthur nodded, still sniffling a little. “You can come here anytime you want to. If you need me, Arthur, I want you to come here. Is that understood?” She said firmly, and he nodded again. “I’ll be your Mum, Arthur, okay?”

Arthur looked up at her, his big blue eyes shining with tears and his pudgy face splotchy red. “Okay.” he hiccup. Then he hugged her and she held him, rubbing his back gently. After he had a much needed hug from a mother, he felt much better.

Arthur washed his face, Hunith gave him an extra brownie, and all was put behind them for the day, but it was never forgotten. Arthur didn’t call Hunith ‘Mum’ again, but it was understood that Arthur was always welcome in the Emrys home anytime. He and Merlin were still friends throughout their childhood. They drifted apart in when they were thirteen (not best friends but still in the same group). By the time they were seventeen, they were best friends again.

By their third year at university, Merlin and Arthur finally got their act together and started dating. By their fourth anniversary, Arthur and Merlin were engaged (Arthur asked Merlin). He had gone to visit Hunith without Merlin which didn’t happen often, but Hunith was happy to talk with Arthur (she made him dinner). Then he asked Hunith if it was alright if he asked Merlin to marry him (his face as red as that faithful day twenty years before). He showed her the rings and Hunith had cried with joy as she hugged him (much different than when she had hugged him when he was six, his shoulders much broader and he was at least half a foot taller than her).

“Oh, sweetheart.” she said. “He’ll say ‘yes.’ Don’t you worry about it.”

“You think so?” he asked, the idea of asking Merlin to marry him made his throat close up. (Merlin did say yes, of course. Merlin thought Arthur was ridiculous for even thinking he wouldn’t).

“Of course he will.” she said. “You two are perfect for each other.” She held his face in her hands, studying his smiling face. “You’re already my son. Now it will be official.”

Arthur gave her a watery smile. “Thanks, Mum.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I know a lot of people who have "other mothers" as I like to call them. I was in Girls Scouts for eleven years (since I was seven until I graduated high school). Believe me when I say that you call all the leaders "Mom" at least once. But I know what it's like to have moms who aren't biological or you don't see every day, but care about you just as much as their own child. Thanks to my mom and to my other moms, who rubbed my back when I couldn't go to sleep, who fixed up my scrape, and helped me through childhood, I love you as much as Arthur loves Hunith.


End file.
